Shining Gray Paladin
by Shining Gray Paladin
Summary: Called to hunt a particularly powerful Kiishin Egg, I am taken a bit by surprise and end up in a bad position. OC. Rated M for violence. No language or lemon. R&R.


Shining Gray Paladin

Chapter 1:

The DWMA had never been wrong about locations. There was a Kiishin soul somewhere around here. The manor I was looking at was ramshackle and decrepit, leaving shadows hanging in every corner and cranny. "Maybe we're looking for a different creepy house," my weapon said, echoing my own thoughts. There was only one way to find out.

Using my SoulSight, I examined the château. From the looks of it, lots of souls had vanished deep inside over time. A cluster of souls was inside, in a tight bunch near the library. Standing right at the center was a Kiishin soul, not quite ready to become a full demon. "No," I said to Sarah, my mace and shield, "this is the place."

The lawn was dead and crunchy, with noxious weeds sprouting their vile faces every few inches, with dark, toxic leaves. Every step among the dead plants revealed further contrast between my silver plate mail and the mere surroundings of a Kiishin soul. As I stepped up toward the door, the porch gave a dreadful creak. I froze in place, horrified at the thought that surprise was lost. The soul, however, did not move. I resonated with my mace at a moderate level, increasing the amount of power in a swing. With a single resounding crack, the door flew off its hinges and flew down the hallway.

Rushing in, I headed straight for the library. _Better to make this quick,_ I thought as I turned a corner, with my metallic cape flaring out behind me. As I approached the door, I swung as hard as I could, smashing the lock to bits. Bursting in through the door, I took a lunge at the soon-to-be demon. He seemed to know exactly where I would swing and ducked out of my way.

"Take a seat." It chuckled. It was a man's laugh, followed by a woman's laugh. The thing wore a mask and loose robe, making the thing completely androgynous. The boards of the floor itself wrapped around my feet, and a chair whirled over from across the room, forcing me to sit in the plush velvet. For the first time I really saw the whole room for what it was. True, it was a library, but the thing had been using it as a storeroom. Hundreds of souls that I had mistaken for trapped energy of victims floated aimlessly about. _Idiot, _I thought,_ why did you trust such a stupid theory? You know all about these_ _things, souls don't leave energy. Think next time._ Inwardly I sighed. It had been wishful thinking. The soul was so powerful; I thought it might cause distortions in my sight. Actual Kiishins had the appearance of souls constantly around them, all screaming. I figured he must have been close enough. Also, I was a bit impatient; this soul would be number 999. After this joker, I could begin the witch hunt. Literally.

"Really now, I am soglad you showed up. This was getting boring, really. Just me and several terrified souls waiting for a DWMA foot soldier like yourself to come marching in." The thing twittered, giving a mocking twist of its head. "Of course, you lacked a certain degree of subtlety that I was hoping for." Looking it dead back I muttered something along the lines of "Well, I'm 'bout as subtle as a sledgehammer."

"Wit on this pale blondey, eh?" It asked, laughing. "Well, witty-boy, you've come just in time. These souls," it said, making a sweeping wave at the room, "will all but complete me." The thing leaned in so close I would have felt its breath if the mask didn't cover his face. "I have calculated this very meticulously. These souls will put me literally two souls away from being a Kiishin. Your soul, and the soul of your weapon." I suppressed a smile. Villains always have the same fatal flaw: showmanship.

He jerked back suddenly, whirling around to face the hoard of souls he had amassed. His back was to me, but I could see the back of the mask lift. I could imagine cracked lips parting as he made a sweeping motion. The souls quivered, but succumbed to his will. I was fixated to the sight while utterly sickened. It was watching the thing I hated so much I wanted to hunt; to kill.

The sight was terrifying beyond description. It was a vacuum force, and each soul attempted to flee the force. But having no body to will, the attempt was pitiful at best. Each soul had a silent scream accompanying the horrid gulping sound. The Kiishin egg grew larger and more volatile with each, and the rapid succession gave the swelling a grotesque, twisting nature. It was cancerous, enthralling yet horrifying to watch.

As suddenly as the first soul had vanished into his form, the final soul vanished. His soul had nearly tripled in size, encompassing nearly a foot around him. "Well then," the almost-demon asked, how does it feel to face a person of superior power?"

I only smirked. "You can't see souls, can you?"

The thing regarded me cautiously. "Why do you ask?"

I only chuckled. When villains screwed up, it was funny. "Our souls are roughly equal, when you put it all in perspective. I am a first-class meister, and Sarah and I resonate at a perfect rate. Our combined ability rivals you." I glanced over at the trap I laid.

"Have you seen her?" I asked, rather whimsically. I could imagine the panic in its eyes as he realized that she wasn't at my side when he had dragged me over. Quickly replacing its mask, he whirled around and reached against the fireplace, grasping for an object. Rachel, her hand still the head of a blunt mace bolted at him, shifting from a place just outside the door. As she took a swing, the thing blocked it with a scythe pulled out of nowhere. It was made of a material strong enough to withstand a blow from her right arm. That in and of itself was incredible.

He attempted a parry, but Sarah stopped that dead with her shield. Using a cheap knee shot, she tried to knock him to the floor. Flipping over his scythe, he dodged the swing. Unfortunately for him, Sarah had planned on just that. Getting past him, she smashed the floorboards around my feet causing a flinch from the raging thing. Breaking the chair, I bolted for the door. She shifted into her weapon form, resting perfectly in my hand. In this encounter, I figured we were at a loss.

As I turned a corner, I began to use my SoulSight. Because of his confused movements around the floor,


End file.
